Floor aligning sweeper



2 Sheets-Sheet l TOR 1 W LEATHERS FLOOR ALIGNING SWEEPER' Filed Dec. 12., 1939 Feb. 13,1934.

2 Sheets-Sheet '2 NVENTO w. LEATHERS FLOOR ALIGNING svmarmi Flled Dec. 12, 1930 Feb. 13, 1934.

Patented Feb. 1934 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE noon memo swEEPEa Ward Leathers, Haworth, N. 1., assignor to The Quadrex Corporation, a corporation of Connecticut Application December 12, 1930 Serial No. 591,874

1 Claim. (c1. 15-8} with greater comfort and skill by those familiar with it.

A further object of my invention is to so relate,

the motor-driven brush to the motor drive and to its housing that it may be maintained at a proper angle with the floor, regardless of the angle of the handle-supported motor.

In order to set forth my invention in terms so that all those familiar with these arts may understand, I have prepared the following specification and appended drawings of which- Figure I is a partial longitudinal cross-section of the sweeper nozzle.

Figure II is a partial transverse section of the same.

Figure III is a partial longitudinal cross-section of the sweeper nozzle with floor aligning mechamsm.

Figure IV is a partial horizontal cross-section of the sweeper nozzle.

Figure V is a detail.

In Figure I, 1 is the motor-suction unit. A casing 2, surrounding the motor-housing, permits of the upward passage of the dirt-laden air to any suitable filter mechanism, while 3 indicates a dirt receptacle, practical with this type of handle-supported motor-blower. A casting 4 preferably a die-casting, houses the rotary brush 5, carries two pulleys 6 on integral lugs as bearings, and is so formed as to furnish the housing '7 for the suction-fan. An opening in the casting 4 at 8 may be covered in any suitable manner, as by a tight cap. Rigidly attached tothe casting 4 is a bracket member 9 which supports an arm 10 which carries a roller, or pair of rollers 11. The hinge at 9 is provided with a spring which gives the roller 11 a downward thrust in order to carry the nozzle more freely over uncovered floors, and to permit the operator, with the slightest effort on the handle, to give such bite to the nozzle as may be desired, depending upon the nap of the floor covering. A belt 15 of rubber, or other suitable material, of any desired cross-section,

passed over a pulley 12 on the end of the motor shaft, idled over the two pulleys S'may drive the rotary brush 5 by means of the pulley 13 thereon.

In Figure 11, which is a partial transverse section, the idler pulleys 6, more clearly illustrated, are supported in lugs or brackets in the casting 4 and pinned therein by means of a shaft 14.

In Figures III and IV, a modification of the constructions of Figures I and II is shown in order to set forth the means of maintaining a proper alignment of the sweeper nozzle with the floor, regardless of the angle of the handle. A casting 16, preferably a die-casting, is so formed as to 5 form a housing for the rotary brush 5 and a housing for the motor-suction-fan. The lower portion of the casting 16 is made semi-cylindrical, extending from side to side substantially the width of the brush. The casting 16 is enlarged on its upper side as it approaches the center, the opening into one side of which may be noted at 17. A semi-cylindrical cage surrounds the underside of the rotary-brush 5 and is provided with an air inlet at 18. This cage is composed of a forward member 19 and a rearward member 20, joined together in any suitable manner, preferably as by stampings 21, 22, 23, (more fully described under Figure V). This cage may be 1 made of a die-casting, if desired. The forward 0 member 19 of said cage is provided with a spring part 24, substantially the entire length of the brush, equipped with a felt wiper 25. The rearward member 20 is slidingly engaged by a strip of suitable air resister material, such as shown at 26, extending substantially the length of the brush and being carried by the rear wall of the the semi-cylindrical casting. The cage end 21 is rigidly joined, as by welding, to a stud shaft 27, which is supported in a bearing 28 consisting of an upwardly extending slot in the end of the casting 16. The shaft 27 isrigidly attached to a yoke 29 joined at both ends to the brush cage.

29 may be joined to 27 by welding, or otherwise.

2'7 further carries a floor roller 30, approximately the diameter of the brush. 30-rotates freely on 27 and is held in place by any desired means. The yoke 29 is provided with a bracket 31'which supports a similar floor roller 32. The cage part 21 is further provided with a cup-like bracket 33,1 into which the end of the brush 5 is held by the belt 15. g

' The-cage assembly consisting of 19, 20, 21, 22,

23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 39, 31, and 32 can be set into the casting 16 upward through the two slots aforementioned at- 28 and held therein, by the belt 15 or other means. When the cage is latched in place, the pulley 32 is held downward in contact with the floor by means of a downwardly A pressing spring 3i, held at its upward end in a bracket35, riveted or otherwise permanently attached to the casting 16. The brush 5 carrying the pulley 13 maybe set in from the bottom and held in its housing by the belt 15.

Figure V illustrates a suitable form for the end part 21 together with its brush cup-holder 33. Also, it.will be noted that the cage parts 22 and 23 permit of the setting in of the brush by means of the slot 36, and free air passage may be provided at 37, if desired, A

The so-called cage and the cooperating and relating parts may be described in other terms as follows:-the power driven cylindrical brush 13 is operatively supported in a hollow cylindrical casing made up of an upper part 16 on the body portion 2 of the cleaner and of a lower part 1920 wherein is located the suction mouth or slot 18 of the cleaner. These upper and lower parts making up the cylindrical brush casing are partially rotatable on each other about the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical casing with substantially dust-tight connection between said parts. Wheels 30 and 32 onthe lower part of the brush casing make it self-supporting from thefloor; and compression spring means 34 between the body 2 of the cleaner and said lower part tends to yieldingly uphold the former from the latter. At the same time, the weight of the body portion of the cleaner delivers through the spring 34 a downward pressure on the lower part 19-20 especially at the rear portion thereof.

The suction sweeper illustrated in Figure I is carried rigid with the handle having no support on the floor except the wheels 11 which maybe placed in back of the nozzle or on the ends of the nozzle but must preferably give a spring lift from the floor in order that the nozzle itself does not press too heavily thereon. Thus the operation is made light and easy. In other words, the nozzle always "glides whether on smooth floor or short nap, or deep nap floor covering. The rotary brush is driven from the formechanism is more clearly set forth in additional applications for Letters Patent co-pending with this one and which should be read conjointly herewith. Their numbers are as follows: 501,873,. 491,415, 563,508, 563,507, 501,875, 501,877, 498,068, 489,281, 488,794, 481,407, 474,584, 501,874, 472,703.

Having set forth my invention in'terms easily understoodby those familiar with these arts, 1 wish it understood that the principles involved in my invention may be applied with many and diverse forms of design without departing from the spirit thereof.

A suction cleaner comprising in combination a body portion; a power-driven cylindrical brush; a hollow cylindrical casing for said brush having. its longitudinal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said body portion and consisting of an upper part on said body portion and a lower part in which is lpcated the suction mouth or slot of the cleaner; said upper and lower parts being partially rotatable on each other about the longitudinal axis of said casing with substantially dust-tight connection therebetween; wheels on said lower part of the brush casing making it self-supporting from the floor; and spring means between said body portion of the cleaner and said lower part of the brush casing tending to yieldingly uphold the former from the latter. 1

WARD LEATHERS. 

